Pink Squirrel
Milwaukee's most charming retro cocktail — crème de noyaux, white crème de cacao, and cream shaken into a blush-pink dessert sipper that tastes exactly like nostalgia.
- 1 ozcreme de noyaux
- 1 ozwhite creme de cacao
- 1 ozheavy cream
- Freshly grated nutmeg, maraschino cherrygarnish
- 1Chill a coupe glass in the freezer for at least 10 minutes.
- 2Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
- 3Add the crème de noyaux, white crème de cacao, and heavy cream.
- 4Shake vigorously for 15 to 20 seconds until the shaker is very cold and the cream is frothy.
- 5Fine-strain into the chilled coupe glass.
- 6Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg and a maraschino cherry.
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The Pink Squirrel was created by Bryant Sharp at Bryant's Cocktail Lounge in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the late 1940s. It became a defining drink of Wisconsin supper club culture — the beloved Midwestern dining tradition of white tablecloths, Friday fish fries, and unhurried evenings. Alongside the Grasshopper and the Brandy Alexander, the Pink Squirrel represented the golden age of cream-based dessert cocktails in American drinking culture. The drink takes its name from its striking coral-pink color, which comes from crème de noyaux — a liqueur made from the pits of stone fruits such as apricots and cherries. After decades of near-obscurity outside the Midwest, the Pink Squirrel has experienced a national revival fueled by growing interest in retro cocktail culture and the rediscovery of Wisconsin's rich supper club heritage.
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